Two charged with possessing Molotov cocktails

Raid results
The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office displayed what authorities said were anarchist materials seized in Minneapolis before the Republican National Convention.
MPR Photo/Tim Nelson

The U.S. attorney's office in Minneapolis has charged two Texas men with possessing Molotov cocktails they were allegedly intending use to disrupt the Republican National Convention.

David McKay, 22, and Bradley Crowder, 23, of Austin, were arrested this week in separate incidents.

The U.S. attorney said both men are members of the "Austin Affinity Group," which allegedly gathered with others in Minneapolis last May planning to disrupt the Republican convention.

The U.S. attorney also said the men planned to use Molotov cocktails against law enforcement officers. Police raided an apartment on Dayton Street in St. Paul on Wednesday, and confiscated 8 Molotov cocktails and materials for making more, as well as arresting McKay at the scene. Crowder was arrested on Monday for disorderly conduct, police said.

Using electronic surveillance, police said they heard McKay stating that it would be "worth it if an officer gets burned or maimed."

Both men will appear in court in federal court on Sept. 9. If convicted, the men face a maximum penalty of 10 years each in prison.

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